Should Lance Armstrong's Doping Affect His Cancer Charity?

There's no shortage of athletes who have fallen from grace. Lance Armstrong now finds his name on a list that includes people like Marion Jones and Mark McGwire. I participated in special Nike-sponsored runs where tons of pavement pounders clad in yellow took to the streets of NYC with Lance at the helm. So yeah, I'm a bit annoyed. While not an avid cycling fan, I did admire how he battled his way back from cancer to athletic stardom.

Once thought of as kings and queens of their sport, now viewed as just a bunch of dopers.

Sure, I bought into the whole Lance Armstrong phenomenon. I bought tons of those yellow Livestrong bracelets and have rocked one to almost every race I've ever run (and on those days when I was simply having a bad day).

I participated in special Nike-sponsored runs where tons of pavement pounders clad in yellow took to the streets of NYC with Lance at the helm. I even donated money to his charity as a way of securing entry into the NYC half marathon in 2010.

So yeah, I'm a bit annoyed. While not an avid cycling fan, I did admire how he battled his way back from cancer to athletic stardom. Eh, it turns out not so much--at least not according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

I liken Armstrong to so-called journalistic prodigy Jayson Blair who tuned out to be nothing more than a plagiarist.

They both painted a picture of something that wasn't their own. Sad, but not a tragedy. The real tragedy here, in my opinion, is what will become of the Livestrong Foundation. Scandal aside, Armstrong has raised a tremendous amount of money in the global fight against cancer. But now people want their money back. They feel they have made donations based on a lie.

I am not one of those people. Maybe it is because in the summer of 2000 I watched my grandfather lose his battle with prostate cancer. Or because a friend of mine is currently fighting cervical cancer.

It could even be because I myself had a breast cancer scare last fall. These are the reasons why I cannot see shunning the Livestrong Foundation and what it has done for those with cancer in our anger against Armstrong.

So yes, I still see Livestrong as a viable charity. I also admire Armstrong for stepping down as chairman of the organization, proving that he does not want his reputation to further tarnish the good the foundation has done.